Carolina Mudcats
| Carolina Mudcats Founded in 1991 Zebulon, North Carolina |
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Southern League (1991-2011) |
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| League titles | 1995, 2003 | ||
| Division titles | 2008 | ||
| Owner(s)/Operated by: Steve Bryant (majority owner) and Carolina Mudcats Professional Baseball Club, Inc and Quint Studer. | |||
| Manager: TBA | |||
| General Manager: Joe Kremer | |||
The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in Zebulon, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the Carolina League, are the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians major-league club beginning in 2012. The team plays their home games at Five County Stadium.
There have been 2 separate teams known as the Carolina Mudcats. The first Mudcats team that existed from 1991-2011 was established in 1959 in Charleston, South Carolina as the Charleston White Sox. This team relocated five times starting in 1962 before relocating to North Carolina in 1991. Today, this franchise is now known as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and are now located in Pensacola, Florida. The second Mudcats team that began playing in 2012, which is the current franchise, was established in 1987 in Kinston, North Carolina as the Kinston Indians. This team relocated to its present location in 2012. The first Mudcats team played in the Southern League. The second Mudcats team plays in the Carolina League.
The Mudcats share the fanbase with the Durham, North Carolina based Durham Bulls of the Triple-A International League.
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[edit] History
There have been two separate franchises known as the Carolina Mudcats. All two franchises have been baseball teams, one in the Southern League and one in the Carolina League.
[edit] Southern League franchise (1991-2011)
The Southern League version of the Carolina Mudcats was a baseball team that played in the Southern League and was the first Mudcats franchise that played in Zebulon, North Carolina. This previous Mudcats franchise was founded in 1959 in Charleston, South Carolina as the Charleston White Sox, a Chicago White Sox affiliate at the time. The team moved four times in the 1960’s, keeping the White Sox name and affiliation before finally settling in Columbus, Georgia in 1969. The club's arrival in Columbus marked the beginning of a period of relative stability. For the next two decades the team played its home games in Columbus' historic Golden Park, still as a White Sox affiliate in their first season in Columbus and as a Houston Astros affiliate in their second season in that city until the team’s final season in Columbus. The team was known as the Columbus White Sox in 1969 and were renamed Columbus Astros in 1970 due to the affiliation change from the White Sox to the Astros. The team was known as the Astros from that season until 1988. In 1989, the Columbus Astros were renamed Columbus Mudcats. The planning stages for the renaming of the team from Astros to Mudcats began in the team’s final season as the Astros in 1988 when Steve Bryant bought the team and held a contest among season-ticket holders to rename the team. As a result, the team began playing as the Columbus Mudcats in 1989 until their final year in Columbus in 1990. In 1991, Bryant moved the team to North Carolina and renamed them the Carolina Mudcats.[1] The team also then switch affiliates from the Astros to the Pittsburgh Pirates. .[2] The move coincidentally allowed the team to retain its logo unchanged - a large C encircling a catfish.
In 2010, the Southern League franchise celebrated their 20th year in Wake County. The first Mudcats team claimed two Southern League championships since moving to North Carolina; the first in 1995 and the second in 2003 and have seen four different MLB teams play at Five County Stadium. The team received the Bob Freitas Award in 1996 for excellence in minor league baseball. The 2011 season was the team’s last year in North Carolina. The franchise ended their 21 year history in North Carolina and relocated to Pensacola, Florida to become the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, starting in 2012.
[edit] Carolina League franchise (2012-Present)
The Carolina League version of the Carolina Mudcats which is the current Mudcats franchise plays in the Carolina League. This Mudcats franchise was established in 1987 in Kinston, North Carolina as the Kinston Indians. While based in Kinston, the Carolina League team played at Grainger Stadium which was opened in 1949. After the Southern League franchise relocated to Pensacola, Florida to become the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the owners then purchased the Kinston Indians and relocated them to Zebulon, starting in 2012. The owners then rebranded the franchise with the Mudcats identity. The purchasing of the Carolina League team happened during the 2011 season. The Carolina League franchise will maintain the Cleveland Indians affiliation that started in 1987 when the team was playing in Kinston.[3]
[edit] Franchise timelines
List of timelines for the two separate franchises known as the Carolina Mudcats.
- Southern League franchise
- Charleston White Sox (1959-1961)
- Savannah White Sox (1962)
- Lynchburg White Sox (1963-1965)
- Evansville White Sox(1966-1968)
- Columbus White Sox (1969)
- Columbus Astros (1970-1988)
- Columbus Mudcats (1989-1990)
- Carolina Mudcats (1991–2011)
- Pensacola Blue Wahoos (2012–Present)
- Carolina League franchise
- Kinston Indians (1987–2011)
- Carolina Mudcats (2012-Present)
[edit] Straight to the Majors
During the Florida Marlins years, the Marlins had elected to bring many of their top prospects up to the major leagues directly from Carolina. (This is partially due to the geographic proximity of the Mudcats compared to the Marlins' former Class AAA club in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and partially due to the Pacific Coast League's reputation as a hitter-friendly league.) Some of the players who the Marlins have brought up directly from Carolina include Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Jason Vargas, Scott Olsen, Logan Kensing (who was brought up directly from Class A Jupiter the previous year), Chris Resop, Josh Johnson, Yorman Bazardo, Jeremy Hermida, Chris Volstad, and Robert Andino.
[edit] Ballpark
The current Mudcats team plays at Five County Stadium located in Zebulon, North Carolina. The first Mudcats team also played at this stadium. Built in 1991 and renovated in 1999, the park seats 6,500 fans. The park is located in Wake County, but it is near Nash, Johnston, Franklin and Wilson counties, hence the ballpark's name.
[edit] Current roster
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Carolina Mudcats roster
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
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[edit] Former Mudcats
Many Mudcats have reached the majors. These are some of the players that have gone on to be successful:
- Bronson Arroyo (1998)
- Daniel Barone (2007)
- Kris Benson (1997)
- Miguel Cabrera (2003)
- Ken Caminiti (1987)
- Brett Carroll (2007)
- Midre Cummings (1993)
- Chone Figgins (2001)
- Freddy García (1997)
- Harvey Garcia (2007)
- Jason Kendall (1994, 1995)
- Esteban Loaiza (1993, 1994)
- Juan Pierre (2000)
- Aníbal Sánchez (2006)
- Gaby Sanchez (2008)
- Doug Strange (1998)
- Ryan Tucker (2008)
- Juan Uribe (2001)
- Andy Van Slyke (1993)
- Rick Vanden Hurk (2007)
- Chris Volstad (2008)
- Dontrelle Willis (2003)
- Tim Wakefield (1991)
- Craig Wilson (1998)
[edit] References
- ^ Mudcats celebrate 15th year in Five County, Wilson Daily Times; retrieved February 2007
- ^ Mudcats celebrate 15th year in Five County, Wilson Daily Times; retrieved February 2007
- ^ [1], Ballpark Digest; retrieved December 2010
[edit] External links
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| Triple-A | Double-A | Class A | Rookie |
| Columbus Clippers | Akron Aeros |
Carolina Mudcats Lake County Captains Mahoning Valley Scrappers |
AZL Indians DSL Indians |
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